Chapel St Leonards Primary School Achieves IQM Centre of Excellence Status

September 9, 2026

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Chapel St Leonards Primary School has achieved IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status. The assessment highlighted a school united in its mantra; ‘Ambition for all, limits for none!.’ This commitment was evident throughout the IQM assessment visit and was reflected in the daily experiences of pupils, families and staff. 

Ambition for All, Limits for None 

Chapel St Leonards Primary School promotes a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment where pupils, families, staff and visitors feel valued and respected. Positive relationships are at the heart of school life, contributing to a culture where children feel safe, supported and confident to engage in learning and wider school life. The school demonstrates a deeply embedded culture of inclusion, where every child is recognised as a unique and equally valued member of the school community. Inclusive values are central to the school’s ethos, vision and daily practice, promoting a strong sense of belonging, respect and ambition for all learners.   

Outstanding Support Through Dolphins 

The school has established an outstanding internal inclusion base, known as Dolphins, which provides specialist support for pupils with communication and interaction needs. 

The provision offers a calm, predictable and nurturing environment for pupils who may experience anxiety, school avoidance or emotional dysregulation. Staff within Dolphins develop trusting relationships, support learning across the curriculum and build pupils confidence, independence and emotional resilience. The school shared a range of case studies demonstrating the significant positive impact of the provision. From reviewing case study evidence provided during the assessment visit, it is clear that interventions and targeted provision are having a positive impact on pupils academically, socially and emotionally. Parent and pupil feedback further evidences increased confidence, engagement and emotional wellbeing, reflecting the effectiveness of relational and personalised approaches. 

Pupils at the Heart of School Life 

Pupils at Chapel St Leonards demonstrate a strong understanding of the school’s inclusive ethos and are able to recognise the importance of kindness, respect and belonging within the school community. Achievement is consistently celebrated across the school in a way that reflects the inclusive ethos and high aspirations held for all learners. During a pupil voice meeting, pupils shared how the school recognises a wide range of achievements, including academic progress, personal development, resilience, attendance, behaviour, creativity, effort and social success. During a pupil voice meeting, pupils spoke extremely positively about their experiences at school. When asked to describe the school in one word, they chose terms such as “amazing,” “outstanding,” “safe” and “magnificent,” reflecting the high regard they have for their school. 

Learning Beyond the Classroom 

Chapel St Leonards School offers a wealth of opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. As a Beach School, pupils benefit from regular opportunities to explore and learn within the local coastal environment, developing teamwork, resilience, environmental awareness and problem-solving skills through hands-on experiences. The school also makes effective use of its woodland area to support outdoor learning, wellbeing and personal development across the curriculum. These experiences enhance engagement, promote independence and help pupils develop a strong connection to the world around them while supporting their physical, emotional and social development. 

Extra-curricular opportunities are widely promoted and carefully monitored to ensure all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and vulnerable learners, can participate fully. 

A School and Community Working Together 

A key element of the Chapel ethos is the strong three-way communication between staff, students, and parents. Families reported that they feel the school not only cares for the child but always considers the wider family network. They prioritise building strong relationships with families and this leads to a real sense of togetherness and teamworking. During the assessors meeting with parents, they shared that they feel comfortable reaching out to the school, knowing that their concerns will be addressed with care and attention. One parent said: “they just treat every child an individual, look at their background and match the support that they need.” Another parent reported that: “school just feels like one big family, everyone just goes the extra mile to help.” 

Parents greatly appreciated the breadth of support for the whole family. They shared examples of support with medical appointments, SEND diagnosis, transition to new schools and sign posting to wider support services. 

Strong Community Links 

Chapel St Leonards has developed a strong culture of community engagement, inclusion and enrichment, ensuring that learners benefit from a broad range of opportunities both within and beyond the classroom. Recent examples have included raising money for equipment for the school nursery, support for the school breakfast club and the Community Cuppa to improve social isolation. Children have also visited the local food bank to meet staff and see the amazing work they do. Pupils have also supported the wider community with projects such as community clean-up and delivering groceries to local residents. 

Find Out More About IQM  

If your school is interested in achieving the IQM Inclusive School Award, contact the IQM team on 028 7127 7857 or email admin@iqmaward.com.

To find out more about IQM and request a free information pack, visit www.iqmaward.com.